Food rations cut in South Darfur’s Kalma camp

Residents of Kalma camp for the displaced, near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, complain about the reduction of food rations and outbreaks of diseases. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Sheikh Ali Abdelrahman Tahir of Kalma camp, said that the food ration for 99,264 “older displaced” has been reduced from a large sack of sorghum per month for four persons, to a malwa (3.145 kg) of sorghum per person per month. As for the 141,730 “newly displaced”, 139,000 receive half a malwa per person from the World Food Programme (WFP). The sheikh added that many camp residents suffer from seasonal winter diseases, in particular those whose houses were damaged by the autumn rains and floods. The 2,730 affected are still living in the open, under trees.  Sheikh Tahir appealed to humanitarian organisations to provide shelter and food for affected displaced. The Secretary General of the Kalma camp, Salih Eisa affirmed that the problems of the camp residents have severely increased. “Help from aid organisations is barely enough. Medical services are lacking, and the monthly food rations are only just enough for a week.” Eisa added that the state authorities did not grant permission to humanitarian organisations working in the field of water to dig water holes in order to provide drinking water for the camp residents. File photo by Albert González Farran/Unamid